Portland is replacing its downtown garbage cans with new versions that feature unique artwork. Visitors flock to Portland for its many attractions and while garbage cans aren鈥檛 usually among them, they are now. 鈥淟ike, in what other city do people Instagram the garbage cans?鈥� Portland artist Dan Stiles said. 鈥淚t just doesn鈥檛 happen.鈥�
Stiles came up with the 12 designs 鈥� from smiling Cascade Mountains to cats and dogs, donuts and ice cream 鈥� adorning 200 garbage cans all over downtown. 鈥淚 think generally, it鈥檚 supposed to be a fun little slice of life 鈥� when you turn a corner, something unexpected, but still Portlandy,鈥� Stiles said.
The project started in 2018 in Old Town. Clean and Safe, part of the Portland Business Alliance, got money from downtown business owners to spruce up and modernize the city鈥檚 outdated garbage receptacles. 鈥淭hey do have a larger capacity. They look a lot nicer. They are just neater, cleaner on the city streetscape,鈥� Lisa Frisch with the Portland Business Alliance said. 鈥淭his is all about doing something fun in the public space for everyone鈥檚 enjoyment.鈥�
The can design also makes it tougher to dumpster divers, which should also keep more trash off the street. According to Clean and Safe, the city now empties downtown trash cans 7 days a week, instead of 6. For Stiles, this unique street art has raised his profile. 鈥淚t鈥檚 funny because now I鈥檓 sort of Dan the Garbage Can man, which was really unexpected,鈥� he said. And who could have expected that Portland garbage cans would become a 鈥渢hing?鈥�